Combined writing-case and checker-board



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

H. C. SMALL, OF EAST LIMINGTON, MAINE.

COMBINED WRITING-CASE AND CHECKER-BOARD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,168, dated January14, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. C. SMALL, of East Limington, in the county ofYork and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Combination ofWhiting-Case and Checker- Board for Soldiers and Travelers Use; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, inA Which- Figure l is alongitudinal section of myinvention, taken at the line 0c x of Fig. 2.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken at the line y y ofFig. l. Fig. 3 is a top view of a checker-board in condition for use.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The object of this invention is to combine a Writing-case andchecker-board in such a manner that the latter shall occupy butcomparatively little room in the former, which besides has apartmentsfor pens, ink, postagestamps, and checkers in one part, and forenvelopes, pen-holder, and pencil in another part, the checker-board,when removed from the writing-case, answering either for games or for awriting-desk, and the Whole When packed brought into such small compassas to be carried in asoldiers knapsack or pocket without inconvenience.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a case, which is of cylindrical form, and Inay be made oftin or any other suitable sheet metal, with a cover B of the samematerial fitted over one end of the case, the other end being closed bya bottom soldered or otherwise affixed to it.

Within the case A and concentric therewith is another case O, which isopen at one end and extends about three-quarters of the length of theouter case from the bottom upward, and is for the purpose of containingthe checker-board when rolled up.

The space surrounding the inner case and between it and lthe outer caseis for the reception of paper, envelopes, pen-holder, and pencil, thetwo latter being separated from the former by partitions d b, whichextend lengthwise to the Itop of the inner case.

The cover B for about two-thirds of its depth is divided into two equalcompartments by a partition c, Which apartments are closed by a cover d,to prevent the contents from dropping out when the cover B is invertedto be placed on the case A. The cover d is simply a disk, which isiitted loosely in the cover B, and has notches cut in its periphery,which, when it is inserted in the cover B, are placed so as to pass overpins or projections e, which pins or projections, by a partial turn ofthe cover CZ, securely hold it in place.

One of the compartments in the cover is for the reception of aninkstand, pens, and postage-stamps, and the other for checkers.

The checker-board (shown in Fig. 3) consists of ten strips of Wood orother suitable material k, of equal length,width, and thickness,connected together by a covering on one side of oil-cloth, leather, orother suitable material, to which the strips are attached by someadhesive substance. The strips can be folded up, as shown in Fig. 2, oropened out, as shown in Fig. 3. When opened out, it is made perfectlyrigid by two metal strips g h, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,)attached to corners of the board diagonally opposite to each other bypivots vl j and shut in slits formed in the ends of the strips. Theboard in this condition can be used either for games or for vaWriting-table.

To pack the board into the writing-case, the metal strips are turned ontheir pivots into grooves formed in the outer edges of the end pieces,when the board can be rolled up,as shown In Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let- The checker-board made of stripsv of Wood or othersuitable material attached together in the manner described, incombination with the Writing-case, the Whole together constituting a newarticle of manufacture.

H. O. SMALL.

Witnesses:

ISAAC L.. MITCHELL, MALooM B. COLE.

